Andy Burnham is sneakily reversing Brexit and putting unelected EU bureaucrats back in charge. Guess who’s footing the bill.
Andy Burnham is pushing us to the EU by stealth. The bill will follow (Image: Getty)
During the Makerfield by-election, the PM pledged he wouldn’t “re-run” Brexit arguments. In one way, he hasn’t. He’s pressing ahead with what he’s always wanted: reversing the referendum victory by stealth and dragging us back into Brussels’ slippery embrace. This isn’t a re-run, but a “reset”, apparently. Burnham has tested the waters and now he’s going to take the plunge. And no, we don’t get to vote this time. We might vote the wrong way, and Burnham and Brussels won’t like that.
The UK and EU have agreed a draft deal to remove post-Brexit checks on food and agricultural exports. Burnham calls it win-win, but we’ll just have to take his word for it. As Makerfield voters can testify, his word isn’t worth a Brussels-subsidised bean. Other concessions include accepting freedom of movement for young people from the EU, when more than 1 million of our own can’t find work. European students will get low-cost tuition fees, too.
What do we get in return? What’s not to like? Apart from absolutely everything. Burnham is due in Brussels on November 20 to seal the deal, without any mandate from voters. Even his own Cabinet is split, with senior figures including Chancellor John Healey, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy expressing severe doubts.
By accepting dynamic alignment or rejoining the single market, we could be obliged to follow large chunks of EU law without a vote on how those rules are made. Brussels will tell Brits what we can make, eat or sell, and all we can do is suck it up.
It makes me wonder why Andy Burnham even bothered becoming PM, when he’s working so hard to give away much of his power. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t got a clue what to do with it.
Any deal arranged could also potentially restore free movement. Burnham has called for an “honest discussion” about this. We can discuss it all we like, but has he already made up his mind?
Labour’s 2024 manifesto explicitly ruled out returning to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement. Burnham could reverse any of those based on what? His mandate is just 25,000 voters in Makerfield, who he deliberately misled over his intentions.
Joining the customs union would force us to apply the same external tariffs as the EU, restricting our ability to negotiate trade deals on our own terms. It could also undermine the City of London by limiting its freedom to regulate quickly. We’ll just have to slavishly follow whatever growth-crushing rules Brussels sets.
Naturally, the EU could demand financial contributions in return for access to its markets. We could end up paying without enjoying the influence of being a full member.
Worst of all, Burnham is doing exactly what he pledged he wouldn’t: reopening the poisonous Brexit civil war. Family discussions are about to get heated all over again, just when we should be concentrating on the economy, public services and the cost of living.
Ultimately, Labour won’t stop there. This is just a step towards the broader goal of rejoining the EU. If we did, we wouldn’t get our previous opt-outs or £5billion budget rebate, Brussels has made that clear. Once again, you’ll pay, but you won’t get a say.